Electric train control



May 13, 1930.

W. M. BECK ELECTRIC TRAIN CONTROL 2 Sheets-Sheet, l

Filed Aug. 9. 1927 May 13, 1930.

w. M. BECK ELECTRIC TRAN CONTROL Filed Aug. 9, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RQMS mi EN. ,r V g Hm w [10. m. A w. .ww v ,1 ma

Patented May 13, 1930 UNITED STATES PATE WILLIAM M. BECK, oF nLWooD, INnrANA,Y AssIGNoRoF ONE-HALF To WILToN L.

NT oFF-ICE IIIBBERD, or ELWooD, INDIANA ELECTRICy TRAIN CONTROL Application lednugust 9, 1927.

This invention relates in general to an automatic train control and lngparticular to an electrically operated control which may beactuated in combination with the usual and well known automatic electric block signal system as now commonly employed on railroad systems. A 1

The inventionis equally well adapted to electrically, steam or gas driven Vvehicles which are operated on tracks, andthe-equipment necessary to adapt the control .to any vehicle is exceedingly simple and may be installed without any radical change in the present design of the rolling stock or block signal systems. j Y The invention is here described in one. specic form as applied to a locomotive, with reference being made to the accompanying draw` ings, in whichig. 1 is a diagrammaticl view of the new tive.

Fig. 2, an enlarged wiring diagram ofthe hook-up of the equipment carried bythe locomotive; and

ig. 3, a complete wiring diagram of two blocks protected by an automaticV signal system to which .the hook-,up is added to `complete they invention.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Fig. 1, where a locomotiveis indicated by dash lines, a short sectionof a rampbjl() is cartrack hereinafter termed ried to the right of and insulated from the railroad tracks 11, at the end of that section of track comprising what is termed a block` Fig. 8, showing two full blocks 112 and 13, and the ends of the adjoining' blockslfl and A brush 16 is carried at the side' of and insulated from, the locomotive. The brush 16 is raised and lowered out of and into Contact with the ramp 10 in accordance with the rate of travel of the locomotive. A fly-ball gov- Y the locomotive equipment which is carried by the locomoseriall No. 211,819.

ernor 17 is geared to run directly/'from one of the axles 18 of the locomotive, Vandthe shaft 19 is raisedV atV predetermined slow speeds, such as would be employed by a locomotive in .switching service about railroad yards, and is 'lowered with speeds thereabove so that the brush :16 suspended from the lever 21 pivoted to the shaft 19 is raised at the low speedsto be held `above thef-,ramp10vas the locomotive passes thereby, and is lowered to Contact and sweep over the ramp at the .higher speeds.v s -V Suitably mounted onthe locomotiveis a lsolenoid velectro-mavgnet 22 which has the core 23 interconnected with' the air-brake-control handle 2 4: in such Aa mannerthatwhen the magnet 2 2 is energized,` the handle 24; is pulled over to set the air brakes onthe-locomotive as well as on the cars -being drawnby (not shown) 1 Y vThis electro-magnet 221s, incircuit in, series withzabattery25 and thecontact; points of the relay 26. A switch 27,'while normally held closed, is included in the .ele'ctro-rnagi1et circuit as a means for breaking the circuit in emergencies. The electro-magnet;,circuit vis normally held openby the relay26.

nek terminal vof thel relay magnetic coilk is groundedl lthrough the frameothe .locomotive and hence ,is indirect circuitwith the trtlcks over: which the locomotive passes; `The Ot ly interconnecting the rampv 10with the track to complete the circuit to energize the relay coil,vclose-,the relay, contacts, and cause the battery;25 to energize the solenoid 22to set' the air brakes. AS soon as the brush 16 has been carried beyond the ramp 10', the primary relay circuitgis broken, which action causes said relay to break-the solenoid circuit so that thclair brake' control handle `24 maybe re- `Vthe switch 27 may solenoid circuit and permit the brakes to be.

\ corresponding circuit turned manually to the release position. Should the locomotive stop so suddenly that the brush 16 comes to a stop on the ramp 10, be pulled out to break'the released so that the locomotive may proceed. A spring is provided (see Fig. 1) to throw the switch into contact to prevent the circuit being thoughtlessly left open.

Reference is now made to Fig. 3, in describing the method Vof connecting the rampY and the track in circuit to close the relay circuit as above described.

The blocks 14V and 15 are here shown as without signal protection. At theend of the block 14 is the ramp 10 at the right hand side thereof with respect to the normal direction of traiiic. The block 12, has the similar ramp 10. To control a train proceeding in the opposite direction beginning with the block 15, are the ramps 10 and 10"respectively, at the ends of the blocks 15 and 13.

The rails 3() and 31 one fronrthe other and are interconnected by the track battery 29, and the multiple contact relay 32 is also interconnected between the rails and 31, so `thatithe relay electromagnetcoils are normally energized by the track battery 29 to throw'the current from the semaphore lamp battery 52 through the 'greenk lamp 33 as shown in Fig. 3, as a signal to trains in block 13 that block 12 is clear. Also a circuit is closed by the relay 32 to energize the relay 34 at the other end of the block 12, which relay 34 in turn closes the sema phore circuit from the battery 42 to the green lamp 35 to indicate to trains in block 14 that blocks 12 and 13 are clear. Itis to be noted, in Fig. 3, that when the relay 32 is energized bythe track battery 29 as above described, a circuit 36 is broken, one wire of which goes to the rail 37 and the other to the ramp 10', and also that theI relay 34 when energized from the` relay 32, opens a 38 including the ramp 1() and the rail 39. Y

Now assuming a train to enter the block 12 from the west, the track battery 29 will be short-circuited through the train wheels and axles with the result that no current will then low from the battery 29 to the relay 32 whereupon relay 34 will likewise receive no current from therbattery 52 as the yarmatures of the relay 32 are then dropped and the red lamp 43 will be illuminated.

" redlamp 4Q into Also when the current fails to'come from the trackfbattery 29, the armature 53 will drop back to throw the: green 'lamp 33 out of the battery 52 circuitandV to connect the v the circuit, and also the relayarmature 54 will drop back to close the circuit 36 between the ramp 10 and the rail 37, the circuit normally being open between the ramp and the rail.

Similarly, when the current fails to iiow to tween the ramps and are normally insulated the relay 34 at the other end of the block 12, the relay armature 55 will fall back to close the circuit 38 between the ramp 10 and the rail 39, and the relay armature 56 falls down and throws the green lamp 35 out of the circuit with the battery 42 and places the red lamp 43 in circuit with the battery 42. Therefore, it is seen that red lamps are shown at each end of the block 12, and that the ramps 10 and 10 at each end of the block 12 are placed in circuit with therails of the blocks 14 and 13. It is to be noted that there is no battery current thrown into the circuits 36 andv 38, each corresponding relays 32 and 34', are open bethe rails.

Should a train start to leave the block 14 and enter the block 12 while the red lamp 43;is burning, the'brush 16 of the locomotive will contact the ramp 10, and as the wire 38 is already connected across the rail 39 and the ramp 10 through' the armature 55, the circuit is completed through the locomotive to cause current to flow from the locomotive relay battery 28 lto energize the locomotive relay 26k which in turn then closes the circuit of the solenoid 22 to set the brakes on the locomotive and bring it to a stop.

The diagram as shown in Fig. 3, indicates a block system wherein the lighting of the lamp 35 indicates the unoccupied condition of both block 12- and block 13. VThe lighting of the lamp 33 indicates the unoccupied condition of block 12 only, no signals being here shown for the block 14 which may be a yard track or any similar section where block control is not desired. The control -over the ramps 10 and 10 is here shown as corresponding to the indications of the lamps 33 and 35 in respect vto the blocks as above indicated, the non-'effective condition of 10 indicating the unoccupied condition of one blockonly inadvance, whereas the non-effective condition of 10 indicatesthe unoccupied condition of two blocksin advance. The control over the respective ramps is, therefore,not uniform, and

it is pointed out that whether two blocksv are indicated as unoccupied from onedirection or only one block from the other, is immaterial to the invention herein claimed, since it is not the sequence of occupied and unoccupied blocks that is claimed but, instead, theV means forindicating the condition of one or more blocks.

Owing to the brush 16 being lifted or lowered in association with the speed of the locomotive, itis possible enter a danger block at a slow rate of speed, which action is desirable at times as it permits the train to proceed otherwise it would be unnecessarily delayed. By changing the elevation of the ramps from low positions in the local yards to higher positions outon the main track, the lifting device of the brush 16 is effect-ive then only for the locomotive tov cautiously, where f of which while closed by their liefs-agac Fig. ,1) when pulled back to reverse position closes the switch 45 y to place a brush 46, on the left hand side of the locomotive into circuit with Vthe battery 28 to function the same as the brush 16 does when the locomotive is proceeding ahead.

sponding direction of travel.

Although the arrangement has not been shown, the battery may be kept charged by the usual generator carried by the locomotive.

It is obvious that the invention here described and shown in one particular form ma be changed considerably in structural form without departing from vention, and I therefore limited to the claims.

I claim: l. In a block control system, the combina- Y tion with a pair of rails forming aV track, a

ra1np insulated from the track a source of electric current permanently interconnected operateV said semaphore means, and a relay interconnected across said rails, of a ramp switch controlled by said relay, said relay while under the inuence of said first source of current affecting electrical circuits between said second source of current and said said rst source to affect said relay.

2. Ina block control system, the combinaforming a track, a track, a source of electric current permanently interconnected across said rails, a semaphore carrying means for selectively indicating occupied and unoccupied conditions of said track, a second source of current available to operate said semaphore means, and a relay interconnected f across said rails, of a ramp switch controlled of current and said semaphore means to ca-use an unoccupied condition to be indicated, and

L ramp to close said actuating of said track, a thi d rails said r'ela'ynormally causing ysa-id 'ramp switch lto 'remaiir open, andsaid Y ramp sfwitolr automatica'lly directly connecting-saidframp with oneof said rails independently of" said second: source ofi current upon failure of said circuit through said ramp switch. 3. In a blockv control system, a pair of rails lconnected between said pair of rails, an electrically operated semaphore, a relay having a coil 'interconnected across said pair of rails, a semaphore batt controlled by said relay and including therein said semaphore battery and electrically switches automatically closing andsaidiirst 4. In a block control forming a track, a

rails, a semaphore battery, a circuit having a switch controlled by said relay and including therein said semaphore battery and electrically operated semaphore means indicatsaid relay and including phore battery and electrically operated semaphore means for indicating an occupied condit-ocontact said ry, a circuit having a switch 

